The Moments In Between
by NotADeamYetNotANightMare
Summary: The Moments In Between is a collection of oneshots following Sydney Sage. Some moments are in between the novels, and some are from other universes entirely.


Vampire Girl

_Vampire girl_. The whispers seemed to be all over the school, though logically Sydney knew it was a relatively small group of people murmuring it around campus. Laurel and her friends. Perhaps minions was a better term, considering they seemed to do whatever she asked.

She hadn't exactly known what Laurel said to Jill earlier that morning, but from the tears she'd just barely seen brewing in Jill's eyes before Jill had run off to her next class, she assumed it was something awful. How could she go on telling Jill to be the bigger person when Laurel was constantly stooping so low?

A part of her mind wondered why she cared so much. Jill was, after all, a vampire. An evil creature of the night dependent on human blood to survive. They were unnatural, and not something she should feel bad for.

That was the Alchemist belief, at least. Her mind wrestled with it constantly since arriving at Amberwood, because how could she look at Jill and think of a monster? No, Jill was anything but. She was a scared teenager who had been through more than Sydney could ever imagine. And now not only was she isolated from her family and friends, but she was being isolated from making any new ones at the private school.

"Hey," Sydney walked into their shared dorm room, offering a small smile to the fifteen-year old. Jill was stretched out on her bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"Hi," her voice was quiet. Sydney's smile quickly vanished as she gazed at the younger girl. Tears streaked down her cheeks. Upon noticing her look, Jill hastily ran a hand over her face, wiping them away. "I'm fine." She avoided Sydney's eyes.

Sydney sighed. "Jill-"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"So, don't talk." Sydney started. "Just listen. I know Laurel's been insufferable. She's immature and mean, and she picks on you because you don't fight back-"

"I tried to fight back! I got yelled at for it." Jill shot her a pointed look, and Sydney flinched. She didn't want to think about the water magic.

"That was reckless and irresponsible," Sydney retorted, clutching the bag in her hand a little tighter. Just breathe, she told herself. "But that's not what I wanted to talk about. I know Laurel's being...well, quite frankly, a villain from a cheesy teen movie. I just wanted to say that I understand how hard it is for you." She knew she shouldn't have let the bullying slide for so long. She should've confronted Laurel again after the time in the library. She should've put a stop to all of this. Jill didn't deserve to be targeted out of some sort of misguided jealousy. "And... I, uh, got you something." Sydney's voice wavered, uncertain. She didn't know much about teenage girls despite being one. Then again, most teenage girls weren't training to be Alchemists at the hands of Jared Sage. There was no time allotted to keep up with the latest trends.

Jill perked up, shifting so that she sat on the edge of her bed. "Really?" A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "What is it?"

"It's just something small..." Sydney set the shopping bag down on the bed beside Jill. "I... Well, my sister Zoe has a few; she finds them comforting. I'm not sure if you'll like it...I remember you saying your mom was a ballerina, and I thought..." What exactly had she been thinking? Jill reminded her of Zoe so much sometimes that it almost frightened her. She thought the young Moroi could use some comfort through these difficult times. If Jill couldn't contact her mom, maybe something that reminded her of her mother would make her feel a little less lonely.

Jill brought the bag closer to her, sticking her hand into it. She produced a small stuffed bunny. The bunny had soft, cream coloured fur and wore a tulle tutu that had gold speckled stars stitched into it. "It's a ballerina bunny." Jill held it gingerly in her hands.

Sydney shifted her weight between her feet, glancing at the ground. A flush crept up her skin. "It's just small." She repeated. "I don't know if it's too babyish, I just thought maybe it was something to cheer you up." She offered lamely.

Jill hugged the bunny to her chest. "Thanks, Sydney." She was smiling. "I love it."


End file.
